Door-latch.



F. F. SGHLEIGHER n S. H. FISHER. DOORI LATCH.

APPLICATION rum 51:21am. 1906., V

l 905,936. Patented Dee. 3, 1908.

./ EMM UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

FERDINAND F. SCHLEIOIIER AND SAMUEL II. FISHER, OF ROOKFORD, ILLINOIS; SAID SCHLEICI'IER ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ANDREWS WIRE & IRON WORKS, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DOOR-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 8, 1908.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FERDINAND F. SCHLEIQHEE and SAMUEL H. FISHER, citizens of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of vWinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the production of an improved automatic latch for screen doors and other doors which it is desired to secure in such manner that they may readily be opened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a portion of a door casing and door frame illustrating the application of a latch embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the door frame and the latch taken on dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the door and door frame showing an alternative way of mounting the latch and a modiiied form of keeper. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View 011 dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on dotted line 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates the door frame, said frame having a rabbet A therein for the reception of the edge of the door B. Said door has an opening B extending horizontally therethrough near its outer edge. The embodiment herein shown of my invention comprises a casing 1 adapted to be secured by means of screws 2 to the outer face of the door near the outer edge of the latter. In Figs. 1 and 2 the casing 1 is shown as occupying a horizontal position, but, as will appear hereinafter, it may be placed in a vertical position, depending upon the form of keeper employed. The casing 1 has an opening 3 in its outer face wall through which extends the latch bar 4, said bar being pivotally mounted upon a rivet or pivot pin 5 fixed in the walls of the casing. The rear end of the latch bar 4 has formed integral therewith a handle portion 6 and the forward end of said'latch bar is in hook form, said forward end having a wedging surface 7, a locking shoulder 8, and a finger piece 9. A keeper plate 10 is mounted upon the door casing by means of screws 11 or other suitable means, said plate having thereon a projection 12, one side of which projection is rounded to permit the wedging surface 7 of the latch bar 4 to slip over said projection easily, the other side of said projection being adapted for engagement by the shoulder 8 of said latch bar. A coiled spring 13 within the casing 1 tends to rock the bar 4 in the direction to hold the shoulder 8 in engagement with the projection 1 2 of the guard plate, said spring bearing at one end against one of the screws 2 or some other suitable fixed point, and at its other end against the latch bar 4.

In the operation of the latch, the.door is automatically locked when it is swung into its closed position, the wedging surface 7 upon the latch bar 4 riding over the projection 12, and the shoulder 8 being thrown into engagement with the plane surface of said projection by the coiled spring 13. The door may be opened from without by rocking the latch bar by means of the handle 6, and from within by operating the latch bar by means of the linger portion 9.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the easing 1 is placed in a vertical position upon the door B, the latch bar 4 accordingly being arranged to rock in a vertical plane, said bar extending through an opening B2 formed in the door. The door frame A has a vertically extending rabbet A2 formed therein in any suitable way, as, for instance, by means of a molding strip A3 secured to the door jamb. In said molding strip is formed an opening A4 registering with the openings B2 in the door B. Over the end of the opening AL opposite to that entered by the bar 4 is secured a keeper plate 14 held in place by screws 15. Said keeper plate has an elongated opening 16 therein which is adapted to receive the hooked end of the latch bar 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the shoulder 8 upon said latch bar is adapted to lie against the outer face of the keeper plate 14. A detent 17 pivotally mounted upon the keeper plate 14 by means of the screw 18 has a locking portion 19 adapted to be swung beneath the latch bar 4 to confine the hooked end of said latch within the opening 16, and a stop portion 20 for limiting the pivotal movement of said detent 17 in one direction.

The operation f the latch when arranged as shown in Figs. 3 to 5 is as before described, save that it may be locked against operation by the handle 6, by means of the detent 17. Said detent is operable by means of the finger for permitting the Withdrawal of the bar 4.,

By reference to Figs. l and 3 it will be observed that the latch bar is provided with an integral handle comprising a laterally projecting extension 6L having a projecting stop portion 6b which is adapted to contact With the vcasing l so as to limit the swinging movement of the bar 4 and to normally'retain it in a horizontal plane against the action of 'the spring 18. The hook shoulder, the intermediate portion of the bar and the handle being of one piece7 the` cost of manufacture is materially reduced, as the bar 4 with its integral parts may be stamped from stock metal.

Te claim as our invention:

The combination With a casing, of a latch 20 bar pivoted therein, a coiled spring Within the casing and bearing against the under side ot' said latch bar, and a handle on Said latch bar having a stop to engage the casing to limit the movement of the bar against the 25 action of the spring.

FERDINAND F. SCHLEICHER. SAMUEL H. FISHER.

`Witnesses ALBERT E. T1-mm1, HARRY E. VANDER BoGAR'r. 

